PASSIONATE ITALY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Fearless Writing with Crescent Dragonwagon

Culinary Touring with Marcello & Raffella Tori
Preparing and Enjoying the Traditional Italian Christmas Day Feast

Sunday, December 19 through Saturday, December 26, 2005

They will whisk you off to Al Cappello Rosso, a quiet and welcoming hotel just off the square in Bologna. 

With luggage safe and sound there, you are free to meander the beautiful city until all our Fearless ones have arrived. (Photo right courtesy David Koff.)

Late afternoon / evening

Around 4:00 pm: meet Crescent and our fellow Fearlesses. After a little aperitif or libation, we will head off to the Monte del Re hotel, about forty-five minutes drive. We’ll settle into our gorgeous rooms, oohing and ahhing over the dreamlike perfection of the landscape visible from our mountaintop aerie: rolling hills and neat vineyards, beyond the brick and topiary’d terrace (see right) immediately behind the hotel. After freshening up and unpacking a bit, we will repair downstairs.

5:45 pm: for the 1st Fearless Writing Session lasting until 6:50 pm.

7:00 pm: Depart from the hotel for a welcoming dinner at Osteria di Buda, with chef-owner Claudio Cesari, the "King of Asparagus" (menus and business cards have a drawing of himself crowned with asparagus) presiding. The food is terrific --- unfancy, tremendously fresh, hearty, abundant. The atmosphere is casual, congenial, and pure, non-tourist-y Italian (we will be the only non-locals present). The food (dish after satisfying dish of it), the conversation among new friends and old, and of course, local wine, will flow freely.

After dinner: Back to Monte del Re. Sweet dreams.

Monday, lunedi, December 20, 2005 / off to a delicious start

Morning / mid-afternoon
 
7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re, in the breakfast room.

9:00 am until 11:45: 2nd Fearless Writing session with Crescent.

Noon: lunch in the pristinely luxurious dining room at the Monte del Re’s superb in-house restaurant. Ultra-fresh, ultra-from-scratch, gorgeously presented, every bite sings with flavour.

1:15 to 3:30 pm: Time for relaxing, taking a nap, walking, writing, reading or whatever you like.

Late afternoon / evening

3:45 to 4:45 pm: 3rd Fearless Writing session with Crescent (a quick wrap-up from the morning).

5:00 pm: Depart for the small old spa town of Riolo Terme, about forty-five minutes away. Once much-loved by another Italian emigre, Lord Byron, Riolo Terme was partially destroyed by a bomb blast during World War II, but has since been restored. A European-style natural health resort, folks have been coming here to “take the cure” for centuries, the primary healing agents being sulphur springs and mineral-rich mud. But we’ll be seeking a different kind of knowledge today. Chef Nicola, of the eponymous Nicola Ristorante Villa Golini, will take us behind the scenes to  demonstrate cooking with herbs, aromatics, and porcini mushrooms. Then, we’ll dine on his fabulous Risotto with Nettles. Like so many Italian restaurants, it is chef-owned and operated, and you feel the sure hand of Nicola and his wide wife Daniela, as well as the taste of the Italian countryside, behind every extraordinary bite.

Tuesday, martedi, December 21, 2005 / Truffle Day

Morning / mid-afternoon

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re in the breakfast room. Eat lightly this morning, we’ll be feasting later.

7:45 am to 8:45 am: 4th Fearless Writing Session with Crescent.

9:00 am: Marcello will drive us to Faenza, about thirty minutes away, where we’ll visit the studio and shop of master ceramicist Max, learning how he paints his gorgeous platters and cups in tiles as they have been done since pre-Christian days. A quick visit to a kitchen tools shop if there’s time, and then we’re off to the country, about a _____ minute’s drive from Faenza.
 
Around 11:00 am: Truffle Day. Meet Luciano, one of the world’s foremost breeders of “Lagottos.” Distant relatives of the poodle, these adorable, floppy-eared, curly-haired dogs are certified by the European Community as the official Truffle Dog. After explaining how he trains the dogs from puppy hood up, we’re off to tramp through the fields and orchards with Luciano and one of his dogs. Luciano, an unpretentious, slightly shy, handsome man, knows everything there is to know about truffles, truffle-hunting and habitat, etc.   We’ll finish up in his old stone farmhouse, where his mother will have ready for us an unbelievable spread --- a truffle-rich luncheon, served by the stone fireplace. (Left, a drawing of truffles --- unprepossessing looking, warty and ranging in size from that of a pecan in the shell to a fist, they stay hidden below the ground until a dog like the enthusiastic Legatto Romangolo, above right, sniffs them out. Photo by Sue Hamer. After luncheon, we’ll return to the hotel, arriving 4:30 pm: Take an hour or so for rest, relaxation, a walk, a nap, whatever, back at the hotel room or walking the grounds.

Late afternoon/evening

5:45 to 7:15 pm: 5th Fearless Writing session with Crescent,

7:30 pm: Drive to nearby Dozza for a light dinner (that is all we will want after our truffle feast earlier). A tiny, enchanted village, Dozza (only 80 inhabitants!) is surrounded by rosy walls, and the tiny curving streets, home, and its centrepiece --- a castle! --- is made of that same glowing stone. It is one of the most well-preserved medieval villages in Emilia Romagna. We’ll be eating at a lovely place, high-up, so all around us the old city, surrounded by the neat farmsteads and vineyards, will unfold. (You simply must click on the photo left to enlarge it and get a sense of how cloistered and protected and pulled into itself the place is. Photo, courtesy of Community of Dozza).

After dinner: Back to Monte del Re.

Wednesday, mercoledi, December 22, 2005: to market, to market

Morning / mid-afternoon

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re, in the breakfast room.

7:45 am to 8:45 am:  6th Fearless Writing session with Crescent.

9:00 am: Depart for Bologna. We’ll visit the central vegetable market, which will have all our senses wide open and quivering: the colors! The scents! The tastes! And overflowing with specialties both for the coming holiday and the recent harvest. Afterwards, we’ll take a guided city tour lasting about ____ hour(s) with a professional English speaking guide, exploring the ancient and awe-inspiring architecture of the city’s cobblestone center, including the majestic mayor’s residence, and a photographic tile monument to those of Bologna’s citizens who were part of the Resistance in World War II.

Around noon: Lunch an aperitif in a central Enoteca/Bar. Many Italian specialities have become popular in America in recent years --- panino-style sandwiches, cappuccino, and gelato to name just a few. Now, taste the real thing. After lunch, back to our hotel.

 2:00 to 4:45 pm: Another period for reflection, relaxation, napping, walking, reading, writing, letting all we have seen and done so far settle into us.

Late afternoon/evening

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm: 7th Fearless Writing session with Crescent.

7:30 pm: Dinner at Monte del Re. Umberto, the remarkably gifted chef behind all the wonderful food we’ve been enjoying at the hotel, may be able to be talked into giving us a short cooking demo. Hmmm… that ricotta breakfast cake CD got so enamoured of last time? Or maybe panettone, the traditional high-hatted, yeast-risen, rich anise-flavored Christmas cake?  And just maybe, if the restaurant is not too busy that night, someone could take us into the wine cellar, which is a beaut.

Thursday, giovedi, December 23, 2005: Byzantine bliss, Perfect Pizza

Morning / mid-afternoon

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re, in the breakfast room.

7:45 to 8:45 am: eighth Fearless Writing session with CD.

9:00 am: Depart for Ravenna, famous for the precious Byzantine mosaic work. We will see the Galla Placidia mausoleum, which has the most incredible vaulted ceiling (see the detail,right). Photos courtesy of Turismo Ravenna). Visit an artisanal mosaic factory, and stop at a traditional osteria in the center.

Around 3: 00 pm: Back to Monte del Re.

Around 4:00 to 4:45 pm:  9^th Fearless Writing Session.

Late afternoon / evening

Around 5pm:  We leave for our first absolutely off-the-beaten track experiences --- learning to make pizza from scratch with the delightful Novella, mother, right in her own home kitchen. We'll feast, family-style, on the pizzas we create. We’ll also enjoy verdure --- late fall/winter vegetables galore: (Novella’s way with fennel is beyond incredible). Olives, salad with local olive oil and vinegar, perhaps some fresh cheese brought by Marcello, then some of Novella's homemade pastry and a little homemade digestif:  This is feel-good home-cooking and abundant family life, Italian style, at its best.

Friday 24, venerdi, December 24 / Christmas Eve Day

Morning / mid-afternoon

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re, in the breakfast room.

8:20 to 9:20 am: 10^th Fearless Writing Session with Crescent.

9:30 am: Depart (it’s about a fifty minute drive through gorgeous countryside, to the home of Maria Grazia. This is a truly great morning of cooking, learning, lunching, and laughing. Maria will teach us, in her own kitchen - - - meaning right at the heartbeat of their small family farmstead. We’ll be preparing many of the traditional dishes for Christmas Day together including Tortelli di Ricotta con Burro e Salvia (tortelli filled with ricotta, butter and sage) that we’ll eat on the Christmas eve day (vigilia di Natale), then some dishes of Christsmas Day, Tortellini in broth (both vegetarian and meat broth), this dish is ALWAYS present in every home in Emilia Romagna for Christmas, it is the King of the table, Roasted Rabbit or Capon (a roasted meat, which meat depends on the family habit, is always on the table, after the boiled meat, eaten with a special sauce: Salsa Verde, Green Sauce), then Insalata Russa, a mix of boiled vegetables with Mayonnaise sauce, Zuppa Inglese, a very typical cake made with custard cream. The family produces extra virgin olive oil from their own trees, both for their own use and to sell to the Brisighella oil collective. The collective blends, then markets, the best artisanal olive oils from this region. These are considered among one of the finest best oils in all Italy. You will taste why! But besides the oil, Marie and family grow their own vegetables, and make their own wine, preserves, wine and even liqueur, for their personal use. Which also means for us, since we are temporarily part of the family. Maria Grazia will share a glass of her own homemade Nocine liquor, a delectable natural digestive made from walnuts. Not only that, she’ll give us her recipe --- long a part of her family’s traditions --- so we can make it a part of our own.

2:30 pm: Depart for Monte del Re –

3:00 to 5:00 pm: unstructured time for rest, relaxation, writing, reading, walking, etc. Come to the next Fearless session below dress for dinner because we’ll be going out directly to the most elegant restaurant of our stay.

Late afternoon / evening

5:15 – 7:00 pm: 11^th Fearless Writing Session with Crescent

8:00 pm: Depart for Imola, about a twenty minute drive. There we will find the legendary San Domenico restaurant, according to many critics the best restaurant in Italy (and some say, in Europe). The genial Chef Valentino Marcattilii presides over the kitchen who according to many critics is the best chef, (Valentino is the heart of San Domenico and it is correct that we say it, and Valentino will be very happy). Its cuisine is a blend of Italian and what we might call “contemporary continental.” The dining room is formal and sumptuous, the service impeccable, and the food! Every bite is perfection, very attentively prepared with the lushest of ingredients, all dishes very elegantly plated on gorgeous tableware. We Fearless ones will have the opportunity to have our aperitif in their extraordinary wine cellars. Glasses in hands, we’ll stroll through cool stone room after cool stone room, seeing bottles both new and anciently cobwebby, and we can gaze down into the old, old well which cools the cellar. Again, it’s considered one of the best wine cellars in Europe.

After dinner: depart for hotel.

Saturday, sabato, December 25, 2005 / Merry Christmas / Buon Natale

Morning / mid-afternoon

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re in the breakfast room. Anyone care to go for a Christmas morning walk?  Or perhaps just sleep in a little later than usual…

11:45 am:  We depart for Gianni and Maria Grazia’s home, returning to have with her and all her family (including daughters, sons-in-laws, and grandchildren) the Christmas dinner we helped prepare yesterday. This midday feast is considered the most important meal of the year to Italian families, and historically, rich or poor, everyone pulled out all the stops. It is remarkably generous of this truly abundant-hearted family to let them join us --- and you will feel part of the family within five minutes.

Around 4:00 pm: Depart Maria Grazie’s for Monte del Re.

4:00 to 5:30 pm: Rest, go for a walk, read, nap, write, gaze out the window, wonder how you got as lucky as to be here, digest…

Late afternoon / evening

5:45 to 8:00 pm: 12th Fearless Writing with CD

8:10 pm: Light dinner in the hotel (can you even believe you got at all hungry again??)

Sunday, domenica, December 26, 2005

Morning

7:00 am on: breakfast buffet at the Monte del Re in the breakfast room.

8 to 10 am: 13^th and final Fearless Writing session with Crescent.

10:15 am: Depart for Bologna. Then . . . we’ll leave the luggage at the Hotel Al Cappello Rosso. Walking, shopping (after Christmas sales!) individually or as a group, then a farewell aperitif and light lunch before departure. Yes, one by one, alas, we will be taking off for our respective trains and plains --- and our darling Marcello and Raffia will have us there are safely, soundly, and kindly as they greeted us and took us every step of the way.